Freedom Filter

Do any of you guys have experience with freedom filters?

I have one and ive been running it for 2 years so far and my nitrates are through the roof.

Mostly due to my lack of water changes but I've heard that spongy materials will hold nitrates and incubate them kinda thing.

According to the FAQ I found on the freedom filter website they claim its "self cleaning" Frequently Asked Questions | Freedom Filter - Freedom Aquarium

I am setting up a fuge and doing a large waterchange and want to make sure that I fix all of the contributers so I can fix these damn nitrates.

Appreciate ur help

 

Im not sure what a freedom filter is, it looks like a mechanical filter with a protein skimmer all in one box??
Either way your right, all mechanical filters need to be cleaned/replaced often or they just become nitrate factories. A refugium will help

What does through the roof mean??

 

This is the Freedom filter Product Features | Freedom Filter - Freedom Aquarium

It claims the foam filters are "self cleaning" and you dont have to clean them but I'm pretty sure thats [not true] and its contributing to my high nitrates 80 ppm +

So if it is in fact false that they clean themselves... how often should I clean them? its kinda a pain to get them out of their...
how should i clean them?

 

well i notice that the mechanical filters are also carbon filters so its a bit tricky.
I replace me mechanical filter pads weekly and i change my carbon monthly - so perhaps changing them bi-weekly would?? When was the last time you changed them? What is the skim mate like that you pull out?

And yeah, i doubt the pads are self cleaning - it might mean becaue bacteria breakdown the detritus it catchs, but that is what causes the nitrates to go up.

 

What is skim mate?